Too Much TV - What are the Health Risks?

Evaluating Risk Factors: Too Much TV

Evaluating your likely current (and near future) state of health means taking into account the risk factors — such as amount of television viewing — that affect you. Our medical diagnosis tool, The Analyst™, identifies major risk factors by asking the right questions.

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In the Lifestyle section of the questionnaire, The Analyst™ will ask the following question about amount of television viewing:

Television: On average, approximately how much time do you spend in front of the TV?

Possible responses:

→ Don't know
→ None / I watch under 1 hour a week
→ 1-10 hours a week (about an hour a day)
→ 11-30 hours a week (1-4 hours a day)
→ Over 30 hours a week (over 4 hours a day)

The Diagnostic Process

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate no watching of television, some watching of television or much watching of television, The Analyst™ will use differential diagnosis to consider possibilities such as:

Problems Associated With A Sedentary Lifestyle

Problems Associated With A Sedentary Lifestyle also suggests the following possibilities:

Breast Cancer

Risk of developing breast and colon cancers is significantly increased in those who spend a lot of time sitting, according to research presented in November of 2011 at the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Colon Cancer

Coronary Disease / Heart Attack

According to Dr. Emmanuel Stamatakis of University College London's Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, the risk of heart disease and premature death from any cause increases significantly for those spending more than fours hours a day watching television, surfing the web, or playing computer games.

The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in January of 2011 and involved 4,512 adults who were respondents of the 2003 Scottish Health Survey. It found a 48% increased risk of all-cause mortality and an approximately 125% increase in risk of cardiovascular events among those spending more than four hours a day in front of a screen, and also suggests that even two hours of screen time each day may place someone at greater risk for a cardiac event. The risk appears to be irrespective of factors such as smoking, hypertension, BMI, social class, and even exercise.

Syndrome X / Metabolic Syndrome

Many components of metabolic syndrome are associated with a sedentary lifestyle, including increased adipose tissue, reduced HDL cholesterol, and a trend toward increased triglycerides, blood pressure, and glucose in the genetically susceptible. Compared with individuals who watched television or videos or used their computer for less than one hour daily, those that carried out these behaviors for greater than four hours daily have a twofold increased risk of metabolic syndrome. [Fauci, Anthony S. (2008). Harrison's principles of internal medicine. McGraw-Hill Medical]

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™